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15 Potential Triple H Signings Vince McMahon Would Never Approve

Triple H may be the next person to take over the WWE once Vince McMahon decides to finally retire, but for now, Vince is still calling the shots. You only have to look at today’s WWE product to see how the two have different opinions on how wrestling should be in 2018. Triple H has been at the helm of NXT and many of WWEs tournaments over the past couple of years, and they have been great successes for the business, showing that fans still want to see great wrestler when they turn on a pro-wrestling show.

But Vince is still stuck in the entertainment business, and not the wrestling business. He prefers crafted story lines and over the top characters, as opposed to letting his wrestlers go in the ring and put on a classic match for the fans. Where as Triple H in NXT has let his wrestlers do what they do best, and that has resulted in plenty of "match of the year" candidates from the brand that is supposed to be WWE's developmental territory.

With plenty of talent still available around the world, Triple H would surely love to get his hands on some and fully take the reins of WWE and make it reflect the product he has built in NXT. But Vince still has control and for now, he would probably say no to many of the wrestler’s Triple H would love to bring in today, as they are, because the fans would jump at the opportunity to see them in the ring on a much bigger stage.

15 Tessa Blanchard

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Tessa Blanchard has had a few stints with the WWE, wrestling Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax and Carmella in her previous NXT run. She gave rave reviews for her match with eventual Mae Young Classic winner Kairi Sane, but still didn’t come out with a WWE contract.

Plenty of that could be directed at her attitude, which has reportedly been bad backstage.

But at 22-years-old, Blanchard still has time to do some growing up, and Triple H knows a great woman’s talent when he sees it, and would take the risk of bringing her in. Vince McMahon isn’t into backstage issues, and has released wrestlers who have created havoc backstage, but Triple H sees the potential in her abilities and what she could add to the women’s evolution.

14 Will Ospreay

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Another great addition to the 205 Live roster, or to any of the main rosters, would be Will Ospreay, the current IWGP junior heavyweight champion who is now in his second reign. His match with Ricochet at the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors tournament was regarded as the match of the year by many, and with Ricochet now in WWE, there is a great opportunity for the two to have another five-star match for the cruiserweight championship on the grandest stage of them all.

Except Ospreay is known for his high spots and aerobatics in the ring, which is something Vince McMahon has moved away from even for the cruiserweights.

Vince may not like a spot monkey, but Triple H would know better and could see the story Ospreay tells in the ring that would entertain fans a lot more than rest holds ever would.

13 Gail Kim

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Gail Kim is regarded as one of the best female wrestlers in the history of wrestling, and depending who you speak with, she is considered the best. Her two runs in WWE, however, never lived up to her ability, as Kim was constantly overlooked by Vince McMahon, who didn’t think she would get over with the crowd and was pushed down to make way for models who had little wrestling ability.

Triple H, on the other hand, knows the skills even a now 40-year-old Kim has and the matches she could have with the women in WWE.

Kim could be that experienced women helping to bring up the next class of ladies, and a dream match would pit her against Asuka for bragging rights of who is truly the best woman in professional wrestling.

12 Matt Riddle

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Matt Riddle is one of the most exciting indie performers right now, as the Wrestling Observer recognized him as Rookie of the Year in 2016. Riddle is a former mixed martial artist, and was on the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter 7, and went on a four-fight streak in the UFC before being fired for testing positive for marijuana. That would be enough to scare Vince McMahon away from signing Riddle, as would the fact that Vince already has a much more impressive former UFC fighter in his current Universal Championship Brock Lesnar. But Triple H would see Riddle as a star in the making, an up and coming talent that could start in NXT and work his way up the roster, and have a legit reputation of being a tough competitor.

11 Kazuchika Okada

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Kazuchika Okada is one of the best, if not the best, wrestler in the world right now, and is the face of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He’s the current IWGP Heavyweight Championship, currently in his fourth reign which has lasted over 600 days, the longest in the championships history, and he has also held the title combined longer than anyone in the titles history.

The stories he tells in the ring are magic, and his many five-star and six-star matches are evidence of that.

Triple H would love to add a talent like Okada that is a pure wrestler. Vince McMahon, meanwhile, would never make Okada the face of the WWE because he doesn’t speak English and can’t give the long promos Vince would want to get his character over. Never mind wrestling ability when it comes to McMahon, it’s all about the character, and while fans would line up to see an Okada match, Vince wouldn’t know how to get his character over without him having the ability to talk.

10 Cody Rhodes

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Cody Rhodes was never given a chance to succeed in WWE, as he was given the Stardust gimmick and wasn’t allowed to change, despite pleading with WWE creative for months. He asked for his release and has been critical of the WWE for their decision to not give him a chance without the face paint on. Now as part of Ring of Honor, Cody has proved he can be a top draw and lead an organization, and that just being himself is a gimmick that works. Triple H has given plenty of wrestlers who have walked away a second chance as they grow outside of the company when given a chance to have more creative control. But Vince McMahon would want to stick Cody back in the Stardust outfit because he likes the character, and wouldn’t be a fan of bringing back someone who disrespected his company when he left.

9 Viper

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Scottish wrestler Viper competed in the Mae Young Classic and made it to Round 3 before falling to Toni Storm. She has been billed at 207lbs, which makes her even too big for the cruiserweight division. However, Nia Jax has been able to get by despite being a plus size girl, as she was a plus size model and is a powerful woman in the ring.

Triple H would have no issue adding Viper to the mix, as it would give NXT their next monster female character.

Vince McMahon may see it as a carbon copy of Nia Jax and pass as Viper doesn’t really fit the mold of what Vince sees in his blonde haired female wrestlers. Although with Jax, they could be the female version of the Natural Disasters.

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8 Zach Sabre Jr

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Zach Sabre Jr seemed like he was headed to the WWE, as he was pushed all the way to the semi-finals of the Cruiserweight Classic tournament the promotion ran. But unlike TJ Perkins and Gran Metalik, Sabre Jr didn’t sign a WWE contract, and his run at the Classic was stopped short.

Regarded as one of the best technician wrestlers in the business, Sabre Jr would be a wonderful addition to the 205 Live roster.

Triple H would gladly welcome him back in considering he was willing to push him to the semi-finals before. But Vince McMahon isn’t going to be fond of a wrestler who just used his promotion and then turned him down, and if they couldn’t come to an agreement before, Vince isn’t going to give much chance at a second try.

7 Dulce Garcia

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As the first and only female winner of the Lucha Undergrounds Championship, Dulce Garcia (also known by a much more risque name) broke new ground for women’s wrestling, perhaps more so than anyone in WWE has. She competed with the men, won the company’s highest championship, and was a main event player, whereas the women in WWE are still fighting for main event status, and compete against themselves and not with the men. But Dulce Garcia would be a great edition to roll out in the women’s evolution, as Triple H would promote the fact that she defeated men and won the highest championship in a promotion. Vince on the other hand, isn’t going to want an attractive girl like Dulce Garcia hiding behind a mask, despite the character being her most popular.

6 Tetsuya Naito

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Tetsyua Naito is happy to be in New Japan and considers it his home, but with the way he has got over with the crowd there and his unique presence in the ring, especially his laying down pose, he would have little problem getting over in the WWE Universe. Triple H would love his wrestling ability and his work ethic, as Naito as turned into one of the big four in NJPW. But Vince wouldn’t get the gimmick in today’s landscape, what the tranquilo mindset is, and that Naito is a traveled wrestler that has had plenty of falls to get to where he is. We can only think of how cool a moment it would be for Naito to lay down in the ring against Aleister Black, who would sit cross legged to a loud pop from the crowd.

5 Io Shirai

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Considered to be the best female wrestler in the world right now, Io Shirai has been all over the world performing, which is impressive considering she is only 27-years-old. She is currently in her second reign with the Wonder of Stardom championship for the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion out of Japan, and would be a great addition to the WWE women’s division. Triple H would see the talent and possibilities with one of the world’s best female talents, but Vince McMahon would see her as just another Japanese woman, and between Asuka and Kairi Sane, they already have established foreign talents, and another one that wouldn’t offer a great promo. But considering how well fans have taken to Asuka and Sane, Triple H would sign her in a second and put her immediately against the best in NXT and the main roster.

4 Marty Scurll

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The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion would be a great addition to 205 Live, adding one of the hottest wrestlers on the indies to a division that could use a boost of talent. Triple H would give Marty Scurll a shot in WWE, and considering it was Scurll who literally kicked Adam Cole out of Bullet Club before Cole made his jump to NXT, it sets up a great feud just waiting to happen that doesn’t need a lot of creative backstory to make it work. Unfortunately, it’s Scurll’s connection with Bullet Club and his close relationship with Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, who are all in Vince McMahon’s dog house, that would stop the billionaire from hiring him. Plus, Vince likes bigger guys, and the junior weight who is listed at 187lbs isn’t exactly the typical Vince McMahon character.

3 Trent Barreta

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Trent Barreta had a stint with the WWE previously, but only reached NXT development level, and there, he was only a mid-card talent. The reason he was released, according to Barreta, was that the WWE didn’t understand his laid-back video game playing character. His personality wasn’t over the top, and if you look at what Vince McMahon likes, it’s big characters who have the volume turned up to 11, not guys who could be lost in the background.

Triple H on the other hand, who seems more focused on telling story lines in the ring, as opposed to backstage, would love to see Barreta return. It has been five years since Barreta was released from NXT, and since then he has wrestled across the world, including stints with TNA Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he just recently had a 4.5 star match with Kenny Omega.

2 The Young Bucks

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With the tag team divisions in WWE seemingly some of their best product right now, adding the best indie tag team in The Young Bucks would be a dream come true for Triple H, who could throw the Jackson brothers on RAW or Smackdown and watch them superkick their way to tag team glory. Just imagine the superkick party they would have with the Usos! But the Young Bucks have come under some fire from the WWE, as their legal team has sent the Bucks cease and desist orders due to the Bucks using the ‘too sweet’ catchphrase and hand gesture. Vince McMahon claims is trademarked by the WWE. Vince could bury a lot for business, but not for a team he may end up having a lawsuit with.

1 Kenny Omega

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Let’s be honest, everyone would want Kenny Omega. There isn’t a hotter wrestler in the world today than Omega, who over the last year has seen his stock rise higher than anyone in professional wrestling. Of course Triple H would love Omega for the WWE, as it would instantly give him a new face for the company who is an outstanding wrestler, and great on the mic as well. Vince McMahon, however, wouldn’t be so fast, as Vince prefers characters to wrestlers, and a lot of Omega’s story telling comes in the ring. Plus, Omega has creative freedom in New Japan to basically do what he wants with his character and story lines. He wouldn’t get that control from Vince, and no one wants to see a watered-down Omega who is stuck using the same move set night after night.